What are the effects of a stroke?
What are the effects of a stroke?
The effects of a stroke vary, depending on the affected area of the brain and how long it took to receive treatment. A delay in diagnosis can result in more brains cells dying or being damaged. Some people only experience minor effects after a stroke, such as a difficulty with coordination or fatigue. Others may need to relearn basic functions, such as walking and swallowing, and they will need ongoing support.
Strokes can affect many functions, including:
Vision
Approximately one-third of people who experience a stroke have problems seeing afterward. These can range from some blurring in one eye to total blindness. While some visual function can improve after a stroke, a complete recovery is uncommon.
The following visual difficulties can also be caused by a stroke:
- impaired eye mobility
- partial vision loss
- dry eyes
- unsteady, jittery eye movement
Less common visual difficulties include:
- Agnosia, which refers to difficulty recognizing familiar faces or objects.
- Visual neglect, which involves being unaware of things on the side of the body affected by the stroke.
Emotional impact
Strokes are life-changing events and may require a person to relearn basic functions or activities. A stroke can leave a person feeling confused, scared, and anxious. Everyone’s experience is different, but it is usually helpful to speak about a stroke and its emotional impact with friends, family, a therapist, or a support group.
A person who has had a stroke may experience:
- depression
- feelings of vulnerability
- anxiety
- feelings of being a burden
- frustration
Physical effects
Following a stroke, some people experience:
- difficulty swallowing, which is known as dysphagia
- an inability to lift the front of the foot, which is called foot drop
- incontinence
- pain
- fatigue
- paralysis
- seizures
- problems sleeping
- poor muscle control
- muscle spasms
An individual may have a variety of these symptoms or only one. They can range in severity and may get better over time.
Some stroke patients die, and some survive but must endure a lifetime of disabilities. The families of stroke victims are often unexpectedly left in the position of caring for a previously able-bodied person, which can take a tremendous toll both emotionally and financially.
A consultation with an experienced stroke medical malpractice attorney at our firm is always free. We routinely investigate stroke care, with a keen eye towards assessing whether different care should have been offered and whether it would have resulted in a significantly better outcome for the patient.